Interview | Director Dane Elcar on crafting Brightwood's beautifully eerie world

Recently, I was sent a screener of a movie called Brightwood. I found the simple, barebones premise interesting, so I decided to give it a whirl. As the opening scenes unfolded, I found myself drawn into an eerie world where the familiar collided with the unsettling. The film's unique approach to horror, interwoven with the unraveling dynamics of a couple's relationship, impressed me a lot. I also got to interview the man who made it possible. In an exclusive interaction, I also had the privilege of delving into the world of Brightwood with Dane Elcar, the writer and director of the film. We discussed things like the inspiration behind the film, and the intricacies of his creative process, and uncovered the layers that make the film a standout in the horror genre.

Also Read:Brightwood movie review: A gripping, terrifying allegory about marital decay

Here are edited excerpts:

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Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind Brightwood and what motivated you to explore deteriorating relationships within an eerie setting?

The thought of being trapped and going around in circles first came to me about six years ago. At that time, I used to have this jogging stroller and I would take my small daughter on runs around this local pond. It’s a nice little park that really made you feel like you were in the woods. Over time it hit me that it would make for a great location. So I combined that location with the idea of being trapped and turned it into a short film called, The Pond. That film was just one character and it was really an experiment to see if the basic plot structure and single location would work — if I could make it entertaining and suspenseful.

As I was working on the short film, I thought how fascinating it might be if I threw a couple, especially one on the verge of divorce, into this nightmare scenario. Even though I didn’t have it all worked out, I could see the possibility of a strong metaphor for relationships. However, this idea percolated in the back of my mind for a long time before I ended up making the film.

The film effectively blurs the lines between psychological torment and physical terror. How did you approach weaving these elements together to create a cohesive narrative?

I suppose my main focus was always emotional in regard to the character’s choices. How would these characters really react in this crazy and sometimes absurd nightmare? Their emotional journey was always at the forefront of our discussions of each scene. And that didn’t mean we were going for “less is more!” I wanted them to broach the extreme and, when possible, find the humour in it. As audience members, we experience their torment and physical terror by empathising with the characters. Even though it’s a physical impossibility to be stuck in time, we all do seem to know what that feels like. Especially if you've been in a bad relationship!

The time loop serves as a significant allegory for the stagnation in Jen and Dan's marriage. How did you conceptualise and execute this allegorical representation?

I knew there was the possibility of a great metaphor for the cycles in a long-term relationship. However, that wasn’t what I was focused on as I was writing the script. Having made the short, I knew what the game was. I knew the rules and I knew the ending. So all I had to do was take this couple that was living in my head and drop them into this nightmare and sort of let it play out. I enjoyed writing it. Which is not always the case. There is always the idea of themes hovering around, but you have to push them away, and get down in the dirt. As you make a film, everyone is so focused on the scene. In that moment, it's about performance — getting it real, capturing lightning. It’s only later, after the film is done, that all that work comes together and there is this strong allegory there that seems to be resonating with people.

The contrast between Jen and Dan's personalities adds depth to their characters. How did you work with Dana Berger and Max Woertendyke to bring out these contrasts effectively?

Along with being an amazingly talented actor, Max is also an incredible producer and collaborator. He was the first person I gave the script to. He really responded to it and he was the one that suggested Dana. They had worked together years before on a play in New York. They were good friends and had this great chemistry already. That was so important. So I had a long conversation with Dana and she really got it. She’s just so funny and smart and I knew right away that she would be perfect to play Jen. And it was great that they were friends! I was going to have my hands full filming it and I knew it was going to be a hard shoot in the woods. I also brought them in early on in prep. We would get on these Zoom calls and they’d read the script over and over and then I’d go off and do rewrites. These meetings became a vital part of the process of honing down the dialogue and finding those idiosyncrasies in their characters.

Independent filmmaking often comes with its set of challenges. What advice would you give to aspiring directors who are looking to create impactful films with limited resources? How can they maximise creativity within constraints?

This is my first feature film, so we’ll see what happens on the other side of this… But what I can say is the drive to make a feature film and see it through to the end was very strong. It became my obsession. In retrospect, I think the best decision I made was to focus on something I knew I could do–to write a story with the budget and those limitations in mind. Use the lack of resources and single location as a sort of artistic obstruction. I kept asking myself, 'what can I make with what I have'? I love cameras and lenses. But I didn’t want to rent a ton of lights. Something as simple as they are trapped in the bright daylight made it so I didn’t need those lights. You see, when I was younger, what we were taught was… well you can’t make a movie without the best camera, best lenses, a whole team of people. So you have to raise a ton of money to make a good movie. I’m a collaborator by nature, so I want talented people around me, but it was also in the middle of the pandemic. I knew I was going to have to wear a lot of hats. And If I didn’t know how to do something I’d learn how. Simple as that. There’s a lot of running in this movie. If you see the actors running, I’m also running, but backward, and with a Stedicam strapped on. I didn’t know how to work with a steadicam. So I bought a cheaper version of one and ran around my neighborhood for weeks teaching myself. My neighbors probably thought I was crazy.

BRIGHTWOOD lands on VOD tomorrow!

I hope you enjoy my love story 🫀 pic.twitter.com/cJqoqVBnse — Dane Elcar (@DaneElcar) August 21, 2023

The film's atmosphere is enhanced by its ominous music and sound effects. How did you collaborate with the sound team to create an audio experience that complements the visuals?

As I was editing the film I started laying down the initial layers of sound design. I would add strange noises and then reverse them and play around. So that first stage of sound design came out very organically as I edited. As I was doing that, I’d send reels to Jason Cook, my amazingly talented composer, who started working on a score at the same time. Later, I took my sound design and worked with musician and sound editor, Joey Zampalla, who really cleaned it up, and also produced some haunting underlying layers of atmosphere.

After waiting a bit, Jason finally emailed me his original score. It was an 84 min symphony! When I listened I cried! He gave me so much. I knew I would only be able to use maybe 30 minutes of it in total. When I dropped parts of it into the edit it worked so beautifully! He gave me not only an amazing score, but also this haunting love theme! After that, my good friend Jeff Prosser did a final pass and up-mix to 5.1.

Brightwood was clearly produced on a modest budget, yet it features interesting and unsettling visuals. Can you share your approach to creating a visually impactful film within these constraints?

I wanted the camera to have a strong point of view. Almost as if it’s another character watching all this happen. And except for a few scenes, I wanted to keep the film moving forward. It needed a frenetic quality. That’s hard with only two characters and one location. I would go out to Egbert Lake in Rockaway, New Jersey and just walk around, watching the shifting light. Nature can be so beautiful, but in the right shadows, there is something primal and sinister. I knew I needed markers, like the no swimming sign and trash can, to show the audience that Dan and Jen were going around in circles. I wanted the audience to become very familiar with the trail early on in the film. You become so familiar with it, that when things start to change, you feel that change, just as the characters do.

Is there a particular genre, story concept, or thematic territory that you consider a dream project, one that you would be eager to bring to life in the future?

I do have a project I’ve been working on with Max Woertendyke producing again that’s a real Hitchcockian thriller. It’s been years in the making and when the time is right we’re excited to get moving on that. In terms of a dream project… I love stories that challenge us. Challenge our perception of what we think is normal. I’m somewhat obsessed with identity in relation to time, space, and nature, but also how that changes as our relationship with technology changes. I’d love to one day put all that together into a big project! But for now, I’m happy I finished BRIGHTWOOD and would very much like a vacation!

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